The Foundation
by LynchingVerse
Summary: "The Gentleman" Johnny Marcone, the Kingpin of Chicago bites off a bit more than he can chew when he crosses paths with Museum and Foundation X. Originally by Darkblade.
1. Chapter 1

He wasn't called "The Gentleman" for nothing. Johnny Marcone was nothing if not well mannered in his business dealings. It just so happened that his business happened to be total domination of the criminal underworld in the greater Chicago area. It was for that very reason he was waiting at this restaurant in Futo City, Japan to have a word with Ryubee Sonozaki, the illustrious head of Futo Museum.

Marcone was no giant but he had a fair build for a man of his age, he towered over the curator like the Windmill of Futo Tower stood above this city. Sonozaki did not seem to mind though as he smiled at the American gangster. "Mister Marcone, you have come a long way to speak with me. Surely there was someone more local who could help you. We frown upon polluting excesses here in Futo."

"I have reason to believe you would know what this is." Marcone says as he pulls out the shattered remains of a USB drive from his pocket. The oddest thing about the device is not the ornate bone like design around the case but the fact that the interior contained no flash memory or any electronics at all.

"It is just a fancy memory stick." Sonozaki says his smile not faltering.

Marcone shakes his head. "No. This was taken from a man-sized grasshopper. One that nearly fought three immortal Vikings with advanced modern weapons and dwarven forged swords to a stand still. On top of that when they do manage to put the insect out of it's misery it turns into a young Japanese woman who gives me your name."

Sonozaki laughs. "Ah, you had a run in with a Dopant. This would be one of those Gaia Memories I keep hearing about on the News..."

"I am not here to play games Mr. Sonozaki. I have already had Miss Gard run a full analysis on every property you own in this city. You have an abandoned factory on the outskirts full of dark magic that I suspect is making these Gaia Memories." Marcone states matter of factually.

Sonozaki's smile gives way to a scowl for a second. "You have no way to prove it."

"No, but I do have your regional Warden's phone number and with the war with Nightwatch they have been pretty trigger happy lately." Marcone explains pulling out a burnt up address book. It's hard to tell through the scorch marks but it says right on the cover it belonged to one H. Dresden. "That said I could just forget this ever happened. All I want is two little favors."

Sonozaki frowns but gives a small nod. "What do you want Mr. Marcone?"

"First I want you to keep your Dopants out of Chicago, I have enough problems as is without dealing with them too." Marcone's tone changes from polite and negotiable to demanding and forceful, there is more than he's letting on about his disgust with the Gaia Memories.

"Done, they were never supposed to leave Futo to begin with." Sonozaki nods in agreement.

"Second, the young lady before she chocked herself on one of those delightful boiled grasshoppers mentioned one other name. Foundation X, now if she worked for this Foundation and was using one of your memories then I'm left to suspect that you work for them too." Marcone explained.

"What of it?" Sonozaki asked suspiciously.

"I want in."


	2. Chapter 2

"No way in Hell Marcone." Karren Murphy growled. Between the power vacuum created by the fall of the White Council and President Luthor's deputation of every super powered individual with anti-social tendencies Chicago was not in good shape. The former police Captain was forced into an alliance with the Crime Lord to keep as much of both wars out of Chicago as was possible. Even with that in though she did not approve of Marcone throwing in with Foundation X, what little they knew about it did not sound good.

"What choice do we have? Sonozaki is uninformed but he is not a fool. He will call my bluff unless I follow through." Marcone replied calmly, if anything the forced alliance amused him more than it really bothered him.

"Then follow through. Send some Berserkers to his front door and burn the factory down. We don't need to join the Legion of Doom." Murphy said.

Hendricks smirked. "Awfully brutal for one so into law and order."

Marcone shot his man a glance which kept him quiet for the time being.

"As much as I'd like to see that it's not an option. Amatersu does not take well to my kind coming on her turf. Even if it's not divine business." Gard spoke up. Unlike the others who started to feel the state of two cold wars crush their spirits and bodies, she looked even more lively and able than usual.

"I for one agree with Marcone. With Michael gone to Nightside and Molly on her little rampage in Europe we need some heavy hitters." Bob the skull said from his place on Butter's lap its eyes alight with amber glow. "Not to mention they got assassins like that Hopper woman," followed promptly by a distressingly accurate replication of a grasshopper rubbing its legs together.

"Why did Planetary mail you back to us?" Gard asked with a slight sigh, while useful for unraveling magical mysteries Bob's perverted tendencies were incredibly grating.

"Elijah said one perverted genius was already too much to deal with. Besides, The Drummer had already read all my information." Bob explained.

"Back to the matter at hand," Marcone said sternly to silence the derailed discussion. "I have no intention of letting Foundation X control us. This meeting is primarily to gain more information on them and to keep them out of our backyard until they can be dealt with. Is that satisfactory, Ms. Murphy?"

Karren ground her teeth as she got to her feet stepping away from the table. "I don't like this Marcone, but go ahead. Meet with Sonozaki."

Marcone was almost glad that the Foundation was based in Nightside, the mystical heart of London was just as alien to Sonozaki as it was to him. They were both men of windy cities, the hostile cold rain of Nightside was disconcerting. The small Japanese man stood at the entrance to the sub-city with a wide smile and a slight bow. "Marcone, I was worried you got lost."

"Afraid not." Marcone said as he returned the bow, another bit of unfamiliar custom but one he could get used to in time. "Lead the way."

Sonozaki nodded and lead the gangster into Nightside. Marcone tried to internalize his reactions to Nightside's 'colorfulness'. To not let his horror show in the face as they were nearly run over by a truck with headlights blazing with the same hellfire as Denarian magic, the locals cursed it's name "Highwayman". He managed to hold back for the most part, the only time he hesitated was when a stray line of anger crossed his face as he watched what appeared to be a Toddler insert a Gaia Memory into the back of it's neck to become some kind of anthropomorphic snake. A child barely alive had one of Sonozaki's memories, all the external destructive power of a gun with all the internal devastation of narcotics. It took all his might not to end the Memory Kingpin right then and there.

They made their way to a rather plain office building. Anywhere else it would be entirely inconspicuous but in Nightside amidst the overarching Gothic cathedrals, rundown pubs of soccer hooligan nightmares, post sanity Neo Art deco and other alien feats of impossible architecture a clean and orderly office building was by far the oddest sight. "We're here."

"Not exactly subtle." Marcone said as he made his way into the building. With no more than a foot in the door the influence of Nightside on the building was made apparent. It was halfway between a corporate board room and a war room. Hundreds of beings from ordinary humans to alien beings the likes of which Marcone ran from one room to another with a direct mindset that boarded on hive minded. Everyone of them had a purpose and knew it quite well, for someone who fought so hard to bring about order to the chaotic world of crime Marcone couldn't help but feel a certain sense of respect for the Foundation.

"It doesn't need to be. We control almost every shadow in Nightside, those that don't hold too close to their home worlds. We are expanding into the worlds but that will take quite some time." Sonozaki explains.

"I see, well take me to whoever is in charge of this." Marcone demands.

Sonozaki chuckles and shakes his head. "You don't just get to meet the leader. You have to prove you are serious about joining us."

"Need I remind you who has the phone number of your local Warden?" Marcone threatened as he reached under his jacket for a gun.

Sonozaki smiled wider as he lifted his shirt to reveal a large metal belt with a USB slot. His other hand went for a Memory that declared it's function to be Terror. "We're not in your world anymore, nor is my local Warden a threat to my operation seeing as she was killed by a member of Nightwatch last year. It is your choice you can either join us or you will join the countless dead littering the back alleys of Nightside."

If there was one thing Marcone doesn't like it's being played. Sonozaki had known the whole time that calling in the Japanese Wardens was a bluff and now Marcone had fallen into his trap. The gangster lowered his weapon and sighed. He could try to shoot the man but knowing what the Hopper dopant could do it is unlikely his weapon could do much here."What do you want?"

"We seek to maintain a certain order amongst the dark side of the multiverse. Despite being a pure human with no special abilities you have kept order in Chicago." Sonozaki explained. "We have many places that require order."


End file.
